The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-05-25
SWORN TO LAY A GHOST.
TIE LOVE LANE SPOOK AGAIN
MAKES IT'S APPEARANCE.
The Uncnnny Habituc of n Cemetery Who
Once Made an Aged DarIey Fiddle for II
Devils Dance Comes Forth and Scares
(From the New York starr

Folks.
(fTom the New York starr
Once again spooks have made their
debut III Love Lane, and the supersti-
tious citizens, particularly those of the
colorado maduro brand, who reside
within tho bailiwicks of New Utrecht
and West Flatbush, l.. l., near the
southwestern border of Greenwood
Cemetery, and who are compelled to
pass that marble city after dark, never
consider themselves in full dress unless
they have a pocketful of brick or wear
carbines with llucs like water mains.
lf.the neighboring darkeys are to be
believed, the spook can only be seen at
midnight, AT recent meeting of the
New Utretch Watermelon Coteric, PAN
try and VeEtry, held near Farmer Ber-
ry chicken preserve, eight of the mem
bcrs testified that they had timed the
spectre hy their watches. One of the
secretaries, who is assistant organist and
plays tho chimes in the local colored
church, and whose word is fully as good
as his bond, said that he was the only
man In the club whose watch was fit for
anything but tobacco box, as it was the
only one that contained any intestines,
but that tho others had the time of the
appearance OF sho spook down fine. He
was with the others when they saw the
spirit, and they all got SO frightened that
his watch stopped. He said that he was
the first man home that night, as the
others forgot where they lived.
1t is a difficult task to make the aver
age colorcd citizen of tie Kings county
towns believe that tho resent spook is
not the same that is said to have appear
ed to the Oldest of them in their Younger
days. Love Lane, which borders the
Greenwood fence has legend to this
effect: Long, long ago an aged darkey,
who had been performing as an oxccu-
tive orchestra at n huslimg bee in Gowa-
nus, was returning homo during the dis
mai hours of the morning. lie had
nearly reached the old toll gate, when
Satan climbed over the fence or through
1T, and compelled the aged fiddler to
play for him. The orchestra turned
pale inch by inch, and his hair visibly
unklnkcd, until his hat looked rs ii it
were built on stills, but still he was COM
PEELED to scrapc away for dear life.
When his Satanic majesty had his savage
breast sufficiently soothod he wound up
thc matinee by dancing Il breakdown,
and, dashlng his hoof against near by
DoWldcr, disappeared III spiral cloud
OF sulphurOus smoke.
The stone is there yet, and the hoof-
pr tlS still an awc-inspiring sight to
the children and many of the older pco-
pie of the towns. The weird and hair
erecting stone is stunned after dark, and
there are many who will tell you that
his Majesty holds picnics there at about
this season every year. He never APP
pears Ill winter or summer, probably
because of his aversion to extreme cold
or diluted heat. 1t is shuddcry spot,
to say the least.
Within the past few weeks the spook
has rcappcarcd on the scene Of its old
time orgies, and has been seen by several
citizens whose words can be relied upon,
although they take no stock in the super
natural. a well known resident of the
Eighth ward, whose place of business is
near the Fifth avenue entrance to
Greenwood, saw the vision one night
last week. He was driving past the
Fort Hamilton avenue entrance to the
cemetery when the spectre showed up,
causing his horse to shy. The spook
appeared to come directly through the
fence, in which there was no opening.
1t passed Immediately in front of the
horse, which suddenly stopped and re-
fused to bulge. The gentleman risked
a shot at it. The discharge was greeted
with hollow, chuckling laugh, and the
gentleman started his horse on a dead
run toward home. He says that the
figure or whatever it might have been
had dark cloak on and wore horns.
William Pye, who was formerly a
stakeholder under the old fashioned
track sheds in the gin and tansy days of
the turf, but who is now Junk numis-
matist through the country towns, is
emphatic in his assertion that he has
seen the spOok on several occasions. He
remembers the old legend of Love Lane,
and says he can bring scores of citizens
who have since INDUCED in involuntary
introductions to his spookship. Numer-
Gus other residents OF the neighborhood
are willing to testify to a like encounter.
y resident Of Windsor terrace in West
Flatbush also saw the ching" and says
that it was garbed in black, wore horns
and had hoofs. He says that he was re-
turning home the other night and when
near the "Devils stone" the vision APP
peared to rise up ont of the ground i'm
mediately in front of him.
81 was almost scared to death" ho
said, "but plucking up courage ! threw
a stone at it. The stone went clear
through it and could see the holo it
made"
This last assertion may be something
of an exaggeration due to fright as the
gentleman admits he was so scared that
he lost his hat and was in such hurry
that he didn't stop to pick it up.
a South Brooklyn florist whose bust
ness interests in the cemetery will not
permit of his name being used said
"There's something strange on the
other end of the cemetery, but L can't
explain it. I've seen it myself, and so
have a number of my friends. / think
possibly it is somebody who is endeavor-
ing to play q prank on the weak minded.
a party OF us are going to solve tho mat
ter some night this week, and we expect
A